


The Wailing Wall

by fallenangel218



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-17 11:07:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1385350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel218/pseuds/fallenangel218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After she returns to Israel, Ziva visits the Wailing Wall and says a special prayer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wailing Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Episode Tag to "Past, Present and Future." Written for the "The Rest is Still Unwritten" challenge. I found a few things about the Western (Wailing) Wall via Google search, but if I am wrong about anything, someone please correct me. Also, thanks go out to flootzavut and her "help with Hebrew" thread on the NFA for some of the Hebrew phrases Ziva uses. Translations will be at the end of the story.

Ziva pulled up a great distance from the entrance to the Western Wall, and got out of her rental car. She started toward the entrance, dressed in a traditional long dress, her head wrapped in a black shroud. She entered the plaza and immediately got lost in the crowd, waiting to reach the Wall. She made her way through the crowd to the women's area of the Wall, where there were far less people waiting. 

She waited patiently until her turn came, and she made her way quietly to the Wall. In her hand, she held several pieces of paper. She had many things to pray for, and planned on staying for quite some time. 

She fingered the first piece of paper in her hand, and looked down at what she'd written on it. 

"Shalom, Abby. I will miss your spirit and positivity. Keep watch over Gibbs, as I know you will." She said a short prayer in Hebrew. "We did not start out as friends, but I am glad for you in my life." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"What if that were Gibbs' guts smushed all over that room?" Abby said angrily to Ziva._

_"For God's sake, Abby, They're not!"_

_"What if they were!"_

_"The color would be more, coffee brown than red," Ziva said, without a change in expression evident on her face._

_Abby flew over the edge, and slapped Ziva across the face. Seconds later, Ziva slapped her back in retaliation._

________

_The applause in the squad room was well-deserved, but none of the MCRT could force a smile. Ziva looked around the squad room, at all of the smiling faces. She spotted the Director, standing on the stairs, with a happy smile, clapping for their success. Her eyes wandered until they fell on Ducky and Abby, who were standing by Tony's desk, awaiting their arrival. Ducky remained where he stood, with the same warm smile Ziva remembered._

_Abby, however, slowly moved toward Ziva. She stopped in front of her, and the girls exchanged a look before Abby wrapped her arms delicately around Ziva and hugged her. Ziva had been hugged plenty of times by Abby, and this hug was different. It wasn't a bone-crushing hug, or a "we solved the case" hug. This was a comforting hug, that confirmed to Ziva that she truly had friends in America who cared for her._

_Ziva put her arms around Abby and returned the hug, as the applause continued around them._

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ziva stuffed the piece of paper with Abby's prayer on it into a crevice in the wall, and slipped the next one from her hand. She closed her eyes and said a short Hebrew prayer. 

"I will miss our tea time, Ducky, and your incessant stories. You always knew what to say, even if it was what I did not want to hear. Shalom, my friend. I will miss you." She slipped Ducky's prayer into its own crevice. 

The next piece of paper had a lot of writing on it. She took it in her right hand and closed her eyes. She recited her prayer, and looked at the photograph she'd taped to the paper. 

"You and I did not get a proper goodbye, McGee, and for that, I am sorry. You have always been such a good friend…" 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Tim bent to be at Ziva's level, as she waited on hold. He could tell she was frustrated over not being able to go out into the field._

_"When I shot that cop, I felt like everyone doubted me… but after a while…"_

_"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Ziva said._

_"Is it working?""_

_"It is not necessary, McGee." She gently slapped his cheek, with a slight giggle. "Our only concern should be the Director."_

_"You're right."_

_Tim got up and started to walk away from Ziva's desk. He turned around when Ziva started shouting at her caller again._

_"You put me on hold again, and I'll jump through this phone and I will strangle you!"_

"Hold please." 

_Ziva closed her eyes in frustration for a moment, then looked at Tim._

_"Hey, McGee. Nobody ever doubted you."_

_Tim smiled._

_"Just like those calls you're making aren't pointless."_

_Tim smiled and walked off, leaving Ziva alone in the bullpen. She smiled and felt a new sense of duty in her work._

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

"L'hitraot, my friend. I promise we will see each other again. I am not sure where my path will take me from here, but I know someday, it will lead me back to DC." a tear slipped down her cheek. "Your messages will not go unanswered. I promise I will stay in touch." 

Ziva tearfully folded the slip of paper and nestled it into its own space in the wall. She had two more prayers to give. She unfolded the next slip of paper, and smiled at the blue eyes staring back at her. 

"From the moment I saved your life, I knew what my destiny was. I am glad you were a part of it, Gibbs. You were more of a father to me than my own father claimed to be. He left me to die in Somalia… you came for me… you never left me behind." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Are you lonely, Gibbs?" Ziva asked._

_"You're never lonely when you have kids." He kissed her softly on the temple. "Good night, Kid."_

_~~~~~~~~_

_With Tim and Tony helping her, Ziva made her way down the hall of the bunker, toward freedom. Suddenly, a Somali soldier stepped into their path, and pointed his gun at Ziva. For a split second, she feared that everything was in vain, that they'd come for nothing. A shot rang out, but she was not dead. She looked up, and almost smiled when she saw Gibbs step out from around the corner, still wearing his sniper's gear._

_"Let's go home."_

_They didn't have to be told twice. Tim and Tony continued on, with Ziva in their arms. She was going home._

_~~~~~~~~  
Gibbs was trying so hard to remember everything, Ziva knew. She could tell he was frustrated. _

_"What can I do?" he asked her._

_Ziva put a hand on each side of his face, to look into his eyes._

_"Remember."_

_"I've been trying to since I woke up in this room!"_

_"Well try harder!"_

_Gibbs glared at her._

_"Good, that's a start."_

_"What is?"_

_"The old Gibbs stare!" she shouted. "You gave it to all of us! McGee, Tony, me!"_

_"What are you talking about!" Gibbs yelled._

_Ziva grabbed Gibbs' hand and used it to smack him on the back of the head. Gibbs was silent for a moment. He was having a flashback. Ziva started to tear up._

_"Ari… killed Kate…. And I--I killed Ari," Ziva said through tears._

_Gibbs sat silently, remembering the two events._

_"Your brother?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You killed your brother… to save me?"_

_She nodded, crying openly. Gibbs pulled her into a hug._

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Ani ohevet otkha, Abba." 

Ziva took one last look at the photograph, then tucked it into a crevice in the wall. 

There was one prayer left to pray, and Ziva was avoiding it, mostly because she knew it would hurt too much. She looked down at the last piece of paper in her hands. There was no photograph attached to this one. She began to pray in Hebrew, as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. 

"You are my heart, Tony. It is you I will miss most of all." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_They were rolling around in the hotel bed. Tony kneaded his hands through Ziva's hair. They had to make it look like they were having sex... but Ziva wished it were real. Tony rolled on top of her and started grinding his pelvis into hers. She could feel herself twinge in excitement, but suppressed it. She could not let on to him that she was enjoying this. She kneed him, hard._

_"Ow! What was that for?"_

_"Because that was not your knee."_

_~~~~~~~~~_

_This was it. Tony had spent the last few days trying to convince her to come back to DC with him, God, did she want to. There was something in Israel she needed to find first, and leaving Tony would be the hardest thing she had to do._

_Tony put his arms around her. Tears falling from their eyes, they fell into a passionate kiss. She had waited so long for him to kiss her, and she really did not want it to end. As they pulled loose, Tony wiped a tear from her cheek. He smiled, and turned away. She watched him board the plane, then turned to walk back to her car._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Ani ohevet otkha, Tony," She said through tears. "Someday, ahuvi, we can be together. I know you do not understand why I could not go back, but one day, you will." 

Tears streaming down her face, Ziva slipped the prayer for Tony into the wall. Unable to hold back any longer, Ziva leaned her head against the wall and cried. 

**END**


End file.
